From North America’s hottest sire line and by emerging top sire PIONEEROF THE NILE, sire of leading freshman yearling sire of 2018 AMERICAN PHAROAH, leading freshman sire of 2018 CAIRO PRINCE, Champion 2YO colt CLASSIC EMPIRE, etc.

Joins AMERICAN PHAROAH as the only sons of PIONEEROF THE NILE with 6 or more Beyer performances of 105+

Taylor Made Stallions, in partnership with WinStar Farm, has entered an agreement to purchase the breeding rights to Grade 1-winning millionaire Midnight Storm upon retirement, it was announced Monday...

From the first crop of classic runner and Triple Crown sire, Pioneerof the Nile, Midnight Storm has an outcross pedigree that leaves him open to be bred to mares from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Pioneerof the Nile sired Triple Crown hero American Pharoah and Champion Two-Year-Old Classic Empire out of mares by sons of Storm Cat, a horse who has also worked well under Pioneerof the Nile’s sire, Empire Maker. American Pharoah is out of a mare by Yankee Gentleman, a three-quarters brother to Tribal Rule, and Classic Empire is out of a mare by Cat Thief. Empire Maker has sired grade one winners Bodemeister and In Lingerie out of mares by Storm Cat himself, and also has a graded winner out of a mare by Forestry (sire of Discreet Cat), and a stakes winner out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway (sire of First Samurai, and a brother to Freud). Forestry looks good here, as his granddam is something of a reverse cross to Fappiano, and he combines well with that strain. Forestry son, Discreet Cat brings in Believe It, a three-quarters relative to the granddam of Unbridled.

Harlan’s Holiday (by Harlan, also sire of Menifee) and Bernstein, are Storm Cat/Exclusive Native crosses as is the dam of American Pharoah. Harlan’s Holiday is sire of Into Mischief and Shanghai Bobby (whose daughters eventually might be a good fit here). The dam of Classic Empire is a Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector cross, like Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart), Pure Prize, Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg, a son of Hennessy, as is Henny Hughes), Storm Creek and Sea of Secrets. Forest Wildcat is very similar to a Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector cross as his broodmare sire is Bold Native, a close relative to Mr. Prospector). His son, Wildcat Heir, will bring in Pentelicus, a three-quarters brother to Unbridled. Other sources of Storm Cat are Stormy Atlantic, Stormin Fever, Sir Cat, Bluegrass Cat and Van Nistelrooy.

Storm Cat is a Northern Dancer line stallion, and from another branch of Northern Dancer, Pioneerof the Nile has graded stakes winner Levante Lion out of a mare by Ghostzapper (by Awesome Again), who gives inbreeding to Relaunch. He also has stakes winner Courtier out of a mare by Touch Gold. These are both from the Deputy Minister line, which might also be brought in through Dehere, Silver Deputy (sire of Posse), Salt Lake and French Deputy. Empire Maker has sired nine stakes winners out of mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer, including a grade one winner out of a mare by Danzig himself, and graded winners out of mares by Belong To Me (a Northern Dancer/Exclusive Native cross, like the dam of American Pharoah), Pine Bluff and Polish Numbers. Among other Danzig branches that could be considered including Chief’s Crown (sire of Concerto; grandsire of Bellamy Road), Hard Spun, Exchange Rate, Dayjur, Langfuhr and War Front (who would be particularly interesting, as he gives inbreeding to Fappiano through Unbridled and Rubiano, which should work well).

Empire Maker has enjoyed considerable success with A.P. Indy line mares, the cross most notably producing three-time Eclipse Award winner, Royal Delta. Pioneerof the Nile has sired graded stakes winner Dark Nile out of a mare by Bernardini (particularly interesting, as he gives inbreeding to Fappiano through Unbridled and Quiet American) and a multiple stakes winner out of a mare by Jump Start (bred on a similar cross to Sky Mesa). Sky Mesa is by Pulpit, whose son, Tapit, is bred rather like Bernardini and would fit well here, as he has both Unbridled and a sister to Relaunch in his dam, and is sire of Concord Point, Trappe Shot and Tapizar.Other A.P. Indy line sources include, Flatter (broodmare sire of an Empire Maker line stakes winner), his brother, Congrats, and the similarly-bred Malibu Moon and Mineshaft (sire of Discreetly Mine), as well as Old Trieste (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Empire Maker), Stephen Got Even, and Golden Missile.

Pioneerof the Nile’s classic performer, Social Inclusion, is out of a mare by Saint Ballado, from the Halo line. Saint Ballado is sire of Saint Liam, Yankee Victor, Captain Bodgit, Sweetsouthernsaint, Straight Man and Flame Thrower. Saint Ballado is also a brother to Devil’s Bag, and introducing him through such as Diablo, Devil His Due or Twilight Agenda From another branch of Halo,Pioneerof the Nile is sire of graded stakes winner Vinceramos out of a mare by More Than Ready.

Pioneerof the Nile has multiple graded stakes winner Cash Control out of a mare by Blushing Groom son, Mt. Livermore,a horse who frequently does well with Fappiano, the sire of Housebuster, Orientate and Peaks and Valleys. From the Blushing Groom line also, there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Yonaguska, a son of Cherokee Run – himself broodmare sire of a graded stakes winner by a son of Empire Maker – and also sire of Kafwain and War Pass. Another Blushing Groom son, Rahy, is out of a sister to Saint Ballado and Devil’s Bag, and might work well here.

Pioneerof the Nile’s multiple graded stakes winner, Cairo Prince, is out of a mare by Holy Bull (a horse with a Rough’Tumble/Intentionally/Aspidistra background similar to that of Unbridled), and it could be well worth consider mares by his sons, Macho Uno (a half-brother to Awesome Again, whose son, Ghostzapper is the broodmare sire of a Pioneerof the Nile graded stakes winner) and Flashy Bull (who should be good, as he is out of a mare by Mt. Livermore).

In general, neither Pioneerof the Nile, nor Empire Maker, have responded particularly well to Mr. Prospector line mares. Pioneerof the Nile has two stakes winners from 20 starters out of mares by sons of Mr. Prospector, and 0 stakes winners from 29 starters out of mares by grandsons of Mr. Prospector).

Pioneerof the Nile does have graded stakes winning and grade one placed Jojo Warrior out of a mare by Carson City, who would appeal through City Zip (out of a Relaunch mare, and a half-brother to Ghostzapper, the broodmare sire of a Pioneerof the Nile stakes winner). Carson City is also sire of Boone’s Mill, Cuvee, Five Star Day, Flying Chevron, Good And Tough, Hear No Evil, Pollard’s Vision and Lord Carson. Empire Maker has also for stakes winners, one grade one, from mares the Seeking the Gold branch of Mr. Prospector, which would suggest trying daughters of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town. Pioneerof the Nile also has a stakes winner out of a mare by Pioneering, a Mr. Prospector half-brother to Storm Cat, andEmpire Maker also has a stakes winner out of a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Kingmambo, sire of Lemon Drop Kid.

Midnight Storm is out of a mare by Bertrando, a son of Skywalker, from the Relaunch branch of In Reality. There are 11 stakes winners with inbreeding to Relaunch where Skywalker supplies a strain, and this suggests trying mares by Tiznow and sons such as Tiz Wonderful and Colonel John, and Honour and Glory, sire of Put It Back. Empire Maker has a stakes winner out of a mare by another In Reality son, Known Fact, and it could also be worth considering introducing In Reality through Valid Appeal, sire of Successful Appeal, Valid Wager and Valid Expectations.

Unbridled did well when crossed over Caro mares, and there is a suggestion that an extended version of that cross is working for the Empire Maker line. Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming is by a son of Empire Maker out of a mare by In Excess (sire of Indian Charlie; grandsire of Uncle Mo) and there are two Empire Maker line stakes winners out of mares by Alphabet Soup, by Cozzene, also sire of Mizzen Mast.